Don Owen (1912-2002) was a professional wrestling promoter working out of Portland, Oregon. Nickname: City of Roses, Stumptown, Bridgetown, PDX Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter Area  - City  145. ...

Born in Eugene, Oregon to boxing/wrestling promoter Herb Owen, Don and his brother Elton began working in the family business in the mid 1920s, selling popcorn and drinks to the audience. In time Don moved more and more into the promoting side, eventually taking over completely after his father died in 1951. His career as a promoter spanned over 60 years throughout the heyday of Territorial pro wrestling.

Under his management, Pacific Northwest Wrestling became one of the leaders of the National Wrestling Alliance, the chief reason being Don Owen's reputation as the best payoff promoter in the wrestling business. Owen dealt fairly with all his wrestlers, paying them exactly what he promised and never trying to stiff them, a mentality not shared with the vast majority of his fellow promoters. Because of this, every major star in the 1960s and '70s wished to wrestle in the Northwest. Among those who wrestled and/or got their start under Don Owen's management are Stan Stasiak, Dizzy Hogan, Curt Hennig, Mad Dog Vachon, Nick Bockwinkel, Jesse Ventura, Roddy Piper, Billy Jack Haynes, Omar Atlas, Shag Thomas, Dutch Savage, Lonnie "Moondog" Mayne, Jimmy Snuka and George Wagner (in the years before he attained international fame as Gorgeous George). Pacific Northwest Wresting (PNW) was a Portland, Oregon based professional wrestling company. ... National Wrestling Alliance logo The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA championships. ... Stan Stasiak (born George Stipich on April 13, 1937 - June 12, 1997). ... Ed Leslie as Brutus The Barber Beefcake. ... Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003), also known by his ring name Mr. ... Mad Dog Maurice Vachon Maurice Vachon (also known as Mad Dog Vachon) was a professional wrestler and is the brother of wrestlers Paul Vachon and the late Vivian Vachon. ... Nick Bockwinkel (born December 6, 1934) is a former American professional wrestler, mainly competing in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the United States. ... Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951, as James George Janos), also known as the body, The Star, The Mind, and Governor Body, is an American politician, former professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... William Haynes, Jr. ... Dutch Savage (real name - Frank Stewart) is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling. ... James Reiher (born May 18, 1943) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name of Jimmy Superfly Snuka. ... There are several people that go by the name Gorgeous George, including: Gorgeous George is the ring name of the late, famed male professional wrestler George Wagner. ...

In 1948 Don Owen negotiated a deal with pioneering Portland TV station KPTV to become the very first wrestling show seen on TV in the city. Portland Wrestling (a.k.a. Big Time Wrestling) continued as a weekly program until the show ended production in December 1991, possibly setting a record as the longest lasting wrestling show in the history of American television. KPTV is the Fox television affiliate serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. ...

Finally in July 1992, facing increasing health problems from age, overwhelming competition from the World Wrestling Federation (whose promoter, Vince McMahon, had been successfully driving the old wrestling "territories" out of existence) and World Championship Wrestling (the WWF's chief competitor), and unrelenting problems from an overzealous Oregon State Athletic Commission, Don Owen was forced to shut down PNW's operations and retire, living in quiet retirement until his death in 2002. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 25, 1945) is an American wrestling promoter, occasional professional wrestler, on-screen personality, former play-by-play announcer, and film producer. ... World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion which, in its proper form, existed from 1988 to 2001. ...